Courtesy photo/Michigan State UniversityRain washes the bacteria down into the base of the flower and kills the flower.

PAW PAW —Michigan State University Extension is reporting that with this week's hot, humid weather all four conditions are present for a fire blight infection of apples and pears in southwestern Michigan — open blossoms, high bacteria populations, high temperatures, and rain to move the bacteria down to the base of the flower.

Fire blight is a serious disease that hits apples and pears, and is a common threat to southwestern Michigan growers. The bacterial disease can attack all parts of the plant, from blossoms to roots, and often enters the tree during bloom, through the flowers.

The
interactive fire blight
tool on Enviro-weather is predicting infection periods both yesterday and
today.